Egypt Reopens Ancient Virgin Mary Tree Site Following Months-Long Renovation

MENA ^ | 9/18/22 | Kamal Tabikha

[marshmallow]

It is one of the holiest sites for Egypt's Christians

The Tree of the Virgin Mary, one of the most prominent Christian sites in Egypt, was reopened on Sunday following a months-long renovation by the antiquities ministry.

The site is believed to have been one of the stops on Jesus's family’s journey through Egypt after they fled Judea (modern-day Palestine) to escape persecution.

Located in the northern Cairo district of Matariya, one of the Egyptian capital’s poorer neighbourhoods, the walled garden which houses the tree has been renovated.

It now includes a visitor centre and information banners, an attempt by the tourism ministry to highlight Egypt's Christian heritage sites.

The original tree, a sycamore in whose shade Mary and the infant Jesus sought refuge, according to the Gospel of Matthew, died in 1656. At that time a group of Franciscan monks removed some of its healthier branches and planted them.

The second tree has since also withered and its dried-up remnants are today on display inside a fenced area in the garden.

A third generation of the tree was then planted in the courtyard of the nearby Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to Mai Fouad, an antiquities ministry official.

Then about 50 years ago, a branch was cut from the third generation tree and replanted at the site of the first tree. It grew into a towering 10-metre sycamore that stands today and continues to bear fruit.

[kiryandil]

Oh - a sycamore fig.

I had sycamores on my property, and didn't recall fruit.

Learn something new every day.

[married21]

Thanks! There was a prophet in the Old Testament who said he was a “Dresser of sycamores “. I always wondered what he was doing that for. Now, it makes sense. He had a fig orchard.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The local sycamores only "fruit" is a hard spiny ball that we boys used to throw at each other.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Here you be! The Sycamore fig (Ficus Sycomorus)!

[kiryandil]

Love me every flavor of fig.

[Ann Archy]

Where the HELL is “modern day Palestine”??